AUDREY’S POV The cold seeped into my skin as they wheeled me down the hallway, the thin hospital gown doing nothing to stop the chill. The overhead lights were too bright, glaring down at me like watchful eyes. My vision blurred at the edges, my body heavy, weighed down by something I couldn’t quite place—fear, exhaustion… maybe both. Footsteps echoed beside me. Slow. Measured. Even without turning my head, I knew it was Michell. I tried to focus on him, to ground myself, but I couldn’t. My mouth parted, an attempt to say something—anything—but my tongue felt thick, the anesthesia already creeping in, dragging me under. The last thing I saw before the darkness swallowed me was Michell watching me, those sharp, unreadable eyes locked onto mine. MICHELL’S POV The tension in my chest didn’t ease. Not even a little. I stood by the operating room doors, watching as the nurses prepared Audrey. She looked… small. Fragile in a way I had never seen before. Her face was pale,
MICHELL POV The hospital room was silent except for the rhythmic beeping of the monitors. I hadn’t moved from the chair beside her bed. I should have been working. Checking reports. Making calls. Ensuring the estate ran smoothly. But I didn’t. Instead, I sat there, watching her breathe. Her face was pale—too pale. The stark white of the hospital sheets only made it worse, making her look even more fragile than she already was. Dark circles framed her closed eyes, her skin almost translucent under the fluorescent light. A thin oxygen tube rested against her face, a stark reminder of how close she had come to slipping away. The IV in her arm fed her body the fluids she needed to recover, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted her awake. I wanted to hear her voice, to see the fire in her eyes when she pushed back against me. Instead, she was motionless. Silent. She should be awake by now. The doctors had assured me she was stable, that she just needed rest. But I didn’t trust a
AUDREY POV Pain. That was the first thing I felt, again that day after briefly waking up. Deep, heavy, like someone had poured molten lead into my bones. It clung to my leg, wrapped around my spine, spread into my ribs like fire licking up dry wood. I wanted to move, to shift even a little, but the second I tried, the pain sharpened, cutting through the fog in my head. My breath hitched. The effort alone made my body scream. The steady beep of a machine filled the silence. A sound I didn’t recognize at first. My mind felt sluggish, thick with something I couldn’t name. My eyelids fluttered, too heavy to lift, but I fought through it. I tried to swallow. My throat was raw, dry like sandpaper. I opened my mouth, but no words came out—just a weak rasp. Then, a shadow moved beside me. I blinked slowly, forcing my eyes to focus. The world was a blur, edges too bright, colors bleeding into each other. But as my vision cleared, I saw him. Mr. Garcia. He sat beside my bed, a
MICHELL POV. Audrey wasn’t good at staying still. Even half-conscious, pain slowing her down, she still fought against it. I saw it in the way her fingers curled into the blanket, in the stubborn set of her jaw when she thought no one was looking. And now, as she tried—and failed—to shift into a better position, I watched her frustration tighten her features, her breath coming out in sharp, measured exhales. I knew this wouldn’t be easy. But watching her struggle, seeing the way she hated every second of her own helplessness, was more irritating than I expected. “Stop trying to move,” I muttered. Her head turned toward me, sluggish but deliberate. “I’m not.” I raised a brow. She sighed through her nose, gaze flickering toward the ceiling. “Fine. Maybe I was.” I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed. “You don’t learn, do you?” She closed her eyes briefly. “You sound like my mother.” That threw me off for half a second. Then she added, “That wasn’t a compliment.” A
MICHELL’S POV Viktor wasn’t here yet. He was supposed to be. This was the day he said he was gonna show up. I checked my watch, then the door, as if by some cruel twist of fate, he’d suddenly materialize. But the hallway remained empty, the silence unbroken. No call. No message. No warning. Just an absence that put me on edge. Maybe he had changed his mind. Maybe, by some miracle, he had decided to stay far away from my estate, from my life, from Amelia. But I knew Viktor better than that. He never abandoned what he set out to do. And if he hadn’t shown up yet, it wasn’t because he wasn’t coming. It was because he was taking his damn time, making sure I felt his presence before he ever walked through the door. I exhaled sharply and forced the thought aside. I had more immediate concerns than Viktor’s arrival. Like the woman lying in the hospital bed in front of me. Audrey Taylor—relentless, reckless, and impossibly stubborn—who even now, even after everything, was tr
Audrey pov A week has passed. Recovery was humiliating. The morning light streamed through the window, golden and warm, but the brightness only sharpened the ache in my leg. I shifted on the bed, trying to sit up straighter, but a dull, relentless pain pulsed deep in my bones, like a bruise that refused to fade. “Slowly, Miss Taylor,” the nurse said gently, her hands firm as she adjusted the pillows behind my back. “I’m fine,” I replied, but the tremor in my voice betrayed me. “You’re pushing too much,” the nurse chided, but her tone was soft. “The swelling has gone down, but you’re still healing. Give it time.” I hated that word—time. It felt like punishment. From across the room, Mr. Garcia stood with his arms crossed, his gaze sharp as it tracked every clumsy movement I made. He never interrupted the physical therapists, never spoke over the medical team, but he was always watching. “Do you have to stand there like a bouncer?” I snapped, biting down on the anger t
MICHELL POV Another week passed. The estate had settled into a routine—work, meetings, updates from the medical team. My schedule remained the same, yet there was an undercurrent of restlessness I refused to acknowledge. Every morning, Dr. Myers sent a report. Ms. Taylor’s recovery was progressing—slowly, but without complications. The nurses detailed her physical therapy sessions, the small improvements, the days she was frustrated, the times she refused to take painkillers until they insisted. She was impatient. She pushed herself too hard. She was, as expected, stubborn. I kept my distance. I wasn’t hovering. She was Amelia’s nanny—that was the only reason I checked on her. Amelia needed her to recover. That was all. I saw her occasionally, mostly at night, when the estate was quiet. It wasn’t deliberate. I simply worked late, and if I happened to stop by after, it was practical. A few minutes, nothing more. I visited her in the evening, she was propped up in bed, a
AUDREY POV Morning crept in slowly, spilling soft light through the curtains and casting long shadows on the walls. The world outside was waking up, but I felt stuck in place—trapped between recovery and restlessness, between pain and the gnawing sense of isolation that had settled in my chest. I adjusted the pillows behind me, wincing as a sharp ache flared in my leg. It wasn’t as bad as before, but it was still there, a dull reminder that I wasn’t back to normal. Normal. I scoffed to myself. What even was normal anymore? I reached for the water glass on my bedside table, taking a slow sip before glancing toward the door. The nurses would be in soon. Then the doctor. Then another round of careful movements and quiet reminders that healing took time. I hated that phrase. But as I sat there, shifting uncomfortably, I realized something else was missing. Or rather, someone. Mr. Garcia hadn’t come last night. I swallowed, setting the glass down more forcefully than ne
AUDREY POV.I couldn’t stop smiling as I touched my belly, feeling a sense of warmth and connection that seemed to grow with every passing day. It was strange, but in the best way possible. This baby—our baby—had already become such a huge part of my world, even before I had a chance to meet them. I couldn’t wait for the day when they’d be in my arms, but for now, I was content with the gentle movements, the little kicks, and the love that already filled me up inside.Michell was beside me every step of the way, and the love I saw in his eyes each time he looked at me was enough to make me feel like I could do anything. The planning for the wedding had been a whirlwind, but it was a beautiful chaos. Everyone was on board—Ethan, Lisa, Amelia—each of them supporting me, making me feel like I wasn’t alone in any of this. I chuckled softly to myself as I remembered the weird cravings. Sometimes they were so odd, even I couldn’t believe what I was asking for. The other day, I had sent
MICHELL POV.The days after Audrey told me about the pregnancy felt like they were moving at a dizzying speed, but with each passing moment, I found myself growing more and more excited. It was a strange combination of fear and joy—a blend of emotions I hadn’t expected. But one thing I knew for sure: this was happening. And I couldn’t be more ready.Ethan was the first person I wanted to tell. He had always been my sounding board, the one I went to for advice. And now, with everything changing, I knew I needed his support more than ever. So, I called him up one evening after dinner, my voice steady but a little too eager. I could hardly contain the news anymore.“Hey, Ethan,” I said, trying to sound casual, but the excitement was practically bubbling over. “I need to tell you something. Can you meet up?”There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by Ethan’s usual laid-back tone. “Of course, man. What’s up?”“I—uh—well, Audrey and I…” I let the words trail off, feeling a mix
AUDREY POV.I held onto Michell as if I could somehow wrap my arms around the whole world in that one moment. There was something so surreal about it, like time had stopped just for us. The air felt thicker, full of everything I had ever wanted, yet never truly believed I deserved.Michell and I had been through so much, had lived through the ups and downs that tested the very foundation of who we were. We’d fought our way back from uncertainty, built something that felt more real than anything I had ever known before. Yet here we were, standing in the middle of a dream—one that I wasn’t sure I could have even imagined until this moment.As I looked at him, his eyes were still shining with that quiet joy, and I saw something else in them, something deeper than I had ever seen before. He wasn’t just happy because of the proposal. No, this was a sense of peace, of certainty. A quiet understanding that he knew exactly what he wanted in this life—and that was me.And I knew, in that
MICHELL POV.The sound of laughter filled the room as Ethan and I clinked our glasses together, the amber liquid catching the light of the late afternoon sun. It had been a good day—nothing special, just two guys sitting in the living room, talking about life. It felt like the first time in ages that things had slowed down to a pace I could enjoy.“Man, I’m telling you, life is different when you’re not always running from something,” Ethan said, leaning back on the couch, his hand cradling his drink as he looked over at me with that familiar half-smile of his.I chuckled. “I hear you. I spent half my life running—sometimes, it feels like I’m just starting to figure out how to stand still.”Ethan nodded, his gaze thoughtful. “Yeah, it’s strange, isn’t it? Everything’s changed so fast.”After a few moments, I cleared my throat, breaking the silence.“Hey, Ethan,” I started, my voice a little more serious than usual. “I’ve been thinking.”Ethan looked up from his beer, raising an eyebr
AUDREY POV.The court proceedings felt like a distant memory now, the courtroom and the judgment barely leaving a mark on me anymore. Evelyn had been sentenced to thirty years, but even that didn't bring the closure I thought it would. Somehow, what she'd done to me still hung in the air. But in the quiet moments that followed, I could feel something shifting inside me, as if the fog was slowly lifting, bit by bit.I’d spent the next few days with Ethan, moving through the motions, trying to piece myself together. There was a sense of calm, but also something delicate—like I could break at any moment if I wasn't careful.Ethan was always there, steady and patient. And somehow, in his presence, I started to feel like I wasn't alone anymore. The pieces of me that felt lost began to click into place.It wasn’t just him, though. Michell, Amelia and Lisa too. They had been so supportive. One morning, as we were all seated in the living area, Lisa spoke. Amelia had gone to school, but n
AUDREY POV.The days after Evelyn’s arrest felt like they belonged to someone else. A strange, dizzying blur of noise and silence, filled with questions I couldn't answer, and memories that still stung like fresh wounds. But somehow, I had to breathe through it all.Ethan had been there—steady and unwavering, like the one constant in the chaos. We had spent hours together, just the two of us. His words were like soft blankets wrapping around the rawness inside me. Ethan and I sat in the garden that morning, the sun barely rising but casting soft golden light over everything. It felt like it was just the two of us, the world far away, as he spoke.“You know,” he said, his voice soft but sure, “no wonder I liked you the moment we met.”I frowned, looking up at him. “What do you mean?”Ethan’s lips twisted into a small, self-deprecating smile. “I couldn't put it together back then. It was like I knew you… but from somewhere else. I should have realized.”I took a deep breath, trying to
AUDREY POV.Ethan’s voice was barely a whisper, but it sliced through the air like a blade. “You’re telling me… it was my uncle?”Evelyn’s body sagged as if the truth was physically tearing her apart. Her lips trembled. “Matt… Matt wanted both you and Sophia gone. He was afraid they’d ruin everything.”“What the hell are you talking about?” Ethan’s voice cracked, a mix of confusion and horror. “Why would he—?”“Because he wanted your father’s properties!” Evelyn cried. “So, he wanted to get rid of both of you.”The room was spinning. My breath came in shallow bursts. My knees nearly buckled under me, and I clung to the wall like it was the only thing holding me upright. “What are you saying?” I whispered. “Who was she?”Evelyn looked at me then—really looked at me. And what I saw there made my blood run cold. It wasn’t the cold stare of the woman I’d called Mother all my life. It was something different. Something broken. She stepped forward, trembling, her voice hoarse.“You were So
AUDREY POV.“Evelyn?” Ethan's voice sliced through the tense air. It wasn’t a question—it was an accusation.“Evelyn?” I echoed, my voice barely a whisper as I tried to process the flood of emotions rushing through me. My gaze darted between Ethan and my mother, whose body had frozen.She turned slowly, her eyes locking with Ethan’s for the briefest moment. In that fleeting instant, I saw it—a flash of something that wasn’t just anger, but something much darker. Fear. But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, leaving behind only the mask of defiance she always wore.Before anyone could react, she made a desperate move—jerking violently against the grip of the security guards holding her. Her eyes widened in sheer panic, and for a split second, I saw the wild, primal look of someone on the edge of losing control.“Hold her!” one of the guards barked, his grip tightening around her arm as he fought to keep her still.She was cornered now, her frantic eyes scanning the surroundings
AUDREY POV.That night, after everything, as I finally lay down to sleep, my mind couldn't seem to settle.The day’s events replayed over and over, but it wasn't long before exhaustion took over, pulling me into a deep slumber.The dream came again. The one I’d had so many times before. It was always the same—gentle, comforting. A man’s voice, low and warm, calling me beautiful names, followed by a woman’s melodic tone, soft but so loving, calling me something sweet, something precious. Their words were a lullaby, one I never wanted to wake from.Then there was the boy, the same boy from every dream. A little, golden-haired boy, swinging me in the air. His laughter would echo, sweet and innocent, as the swing creaked with each push. The breeze would tangle my hair, and I’d feel weightless, carefree. For a moment, everything was calm, perfect even. But then something shifted. For the first time, I wasn’t just watching. I was part of the dream. I was the one dancing. My body moved i